I grew up in a small town before regional or national banks were common (or even allowed). Banking was synonymous with community, and walking through the doors of my local branch to deposit my paper route earnings meant conversations with tellers and managers that I’d known – quite literally – my entire life.
The technology was mysterious and basic. Noisy hydraulic tubes moved deposits from an outdoor drive-through kiosk to a teller inside and then came back again with a receipt and a lollipop. A special printer out back and out of sight updated my passbook’s interest entries neatly.
Eventually, regional and national banks came to town with their fancier tools, technology, and ATM machines. I told myself I didn’t need that fancy stuff; that I was perfectly happy hurrying to the teller line after school or finding the one open branch on Saturday morning.
But that started to change when friends could stop at an ATM for extra cash – even on (gasp!) Sundays – making a day of shopping or spontaneous trips to the movies more accessible. I loved that little bank I’d known my entire life, but eventually, they weren’t offering what I wanted. The tools I desired were out of reach.
It didn’t make any sense to teenage me. Why wouldn’t my bank offer what the big ones did, making it easier to access my money when I wanted it?
Closing the Gap
Fortunately today, small-to-midsize financial institutions have caught up – and in some cases, surpassed – the big guys when it comes to technology. Not just in terms of ATMs and cash on-the-go, but access to digital banking tools as well.
The early forays into digital banking that featured separate systems for online, mobile, and text (SMS) banking have grown up. These fledgling systems used the technology that was available at the time but struggled to connect to the core and each other. As a result, they’ve gone by the wayside as unified digital banking platforms emerged.
That technical maturity makes a difference. Not just to the accountholders and end users, but to the banks and credit unions who make the leap to a modern tech stack. Here’s how:
- Fast and seamless experience. Accountholders today measure their digital banking experience against all of their online activities, not just financial ones. That means banking systems need to be as fast and intuitive as social media or shopping apps.
When digital banking is built as a single platform using native apps – like the Banno Digital Platform™ – it works smoothly across devices, providing the blazing speeds and seamless experience today’s accountholders expect.
- Human connection. Rather than relegating personal service to the confines of a branch, call center, or third-party chat tool, a true digital banking platform can provide the personal service your accountholders want in their moment of need.
A tool like Banno Conversations™, which is baked directly into the digital banking platform, provides core-connected, authenticated chat and video calls within the context of your accountholders’ digital banking experience. Since it was created as an integral piece of the platform (rather than an add-on), your accountholders receive personal service through the digital channel, while your support teams are able to solve issues faster than ever via smart routing and contextual forms and attachments.
- Unified back-office. When your team can rely on one core-connected tool as they provide support to accountholders and respond to inquiries, everybody wins. Accountholders receive answers faster, and your support team is more efficient because they aren’t spending time rekeying data and logging into disparate tools as they navigate from one system to the next to provide a full response to an inquiry.
- Robust integration capabilities. When you’re working with a truly open digital banking platform, the opportunities are endless. You can easily embed third-party fintech solutions to round out your in-house offerings, build custom functionality, and creatively execute a differentiated strategy.
Look for publicly available API documentation and self-service developer tools, like those at jackhenry.dev, to experience true openness and ease of integration at your fingertips.
- Full-spectrum banking. Today’s digital platforms are building a bridge between retail and business banking services. Features like embedded invoicing and payment acceptance can be added to consumer-focused digital apps, while business platforms – like Banno Business™ – extend the familiar interface and popular user experience to businesses as well, empowering your team to turn on more advanced business functionality for your accountholders as their businesses scale.
This move from distinct digital services to a true, unified digital banking platform has leveled the playing field. The size and scale of a financial institution doesn’t need to dictate its technological prowess when the right providers and platforms are brought to the table.
Smart investments and progressive strategies by financial technology providers like Jack Henry™ have empowered banks and credit unions of any size to compete head-to-head with the biggest banks.
Why Settle When a Top-Tier Digital Banking Experience Is Calling?
As an adult, I still choose to bank with community and regional banks and credit unions. I appreciate that my deposit dollars are lent locally, helping my neighbors buy homes and my friends grow their businesses. But these days I won’t settle for a mediocre experience when I know that top-tier digital banking is available right in town, from a local provider.
Ready to make the move from separate systems to a unified digital banking platform? Contact Jack Henry’s Digital Experience team to get started.
.svg)
